1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a valve apparatus for use with bloodless exchange of elongate instruments into a patient's vasculature. In more particular, the present invention relates to a valve apparatus having a quick release actuator mechanism which allows the user to quickly and efficiently open and close a seal of the valve apparatus to allow for desired exchange of elongate instruments into the vasculature of a patient.
2. Relevant Technology
Current surgical procedures often require temporary and at times repeated introduction of catheters and/or guidewires into the cardiovascular system of a patient. For example, a catheter can be introduced into the body of a patient and used to deliver fluid, such as a medicament, directly to a predetermined location within the patient's cardiovascular system. Catheters can also be used for exploratory surgery and for removing tissue samples within a body. One primary use of catheters relates to the placement of small angioplasty balloons which can be selectively inflated within a patient's blood vessel to open occlusions within the vessel.
A common catheter design used in performing many procedures includes an elongated, flexible, cylindrical catheter body having a fluid flow passageway or a lumen extending along the interior of that catheter body. In one exemplary procedure, an end of the catheter is inserted into a vessel within the vasculature of the patient. The catheter is advanced along the internal passageway of the vessel until the end of the catheter is located at a predetermined location with the patient's body. The location is often associated with a point at which a medicament is to be delivered or a therapeutic procedure is to be performed.
The long, cylindrical, and rigid but manipulable configuration of common guidewires facilitates directing catheters utilized in such procedures to a desired location within the body. In other words, the rigid configuration and small diameter of such guidewires are specially configured for directing and advancing the guidewire to a desired location within the cardiovascular system. The end of the guidewire, positioned outside the body of the patient, is then received within the lumen of the catheter. Using the guidewire as a guide, the catheter is advanced along the length of the guidewire so as to properly position the catheter within the body of the patient. If desired, the guidewire can then be removed from within the catheter to open the lumen of the catheter. In an alternative process for inserting the catheter, the guidewire is initially received within the lumen of the catheter and the catheter and guidewire are simultaneously advanced within the cardiovascular system of the patient.
Medical procedures which utilize catheters can often require the insertion and removal of several different types of catheters and guidewires. One of the problems encountered with the insertion and removal of catheters and guidewires is controlling bleeding at the point where the catheters and guidewires are first introduced into the cardiovascular system. One approach which has been utilized to control the bleeding at the catheter insertion point while also facilitating insertion and removal of the catheter and/or guidewire within the cardiovascular system is to utilize an introducer during the insertion procedure. An introducer is a relatively large gauge tube which is inserted into the patient. One end of the introducer is positioned outside the body of the patient and is attached to an adapter. The adapter typically comprises a short, rigid tube having a passageway extending therethrough. The adapter tube includes a valve commonly referred to as a hemostasis valve. The hemostasis valve, which either closes independently or is compressed around the catheter and/or guidewire, restricts blood from spilling out of the adapter through the lumen of the valve.
A variety of hemostasis valve apparatus have been utilized in connection with medical insertion procedures. One challenge with many hemostasis valve apparatus relates to sealing and unsealing of the hemostasis valve during insertion and removal of guidewires, catheters and other medical instruments. Traditional hemostasis valve apparatus can require two-handed or other awkward manipulation which can interfere with other aspects of the procedure to be performed. One example of a hemostasis valve apparatus that has been developed to overcome many of the deficiencies of existing hemostasis valve designs is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,968 which is assigned to Merit Medical Systems. The hemostasis valve apparatus provides an adjustable quick-release mechanism which allows a user to seal and unseal the lumen of the seal. Additionally, the hemostasis valve apparatus provides for simple, efficient and one-handed operability which allows the user to selectively release and restore the seal of the hemostasis valve apparatus.